Veggies it's what's for breakfast!

One of the most common responses I get when I'm starting with a client is, "You want me to eat vegetables for breakfast?" We are so ingrained in our views on vegetables the concept of eating them first thing in the morning can seem odd to say the least.

There are a few vegetables I would classify as "classic breakfast" foods. Potatoes are high on that list. Unfortunately potatoes are not on my recommended foods list. I'm focused on vegetables that are rich in nutrients and fiber. Potatoes meet neither of these requirements. What is a good substitute for those home fries in the morning? A vegetable hash. 

I make this using a variety of vegetables. It really depends on what is fresh and in the fridge when I go to make it. I've used chopped brussel sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, hard winter squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, and even cabbage. This morning I had carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, and cauliflower on hand. 

Vegetable Hash

2 cups of mixed chopped veggies (this is per serving)

1/4 cup chopped onion (again per serving)

garlic to taste

1-3 tsp olive oil

water for steam saute

Heat oil in pan and add onion. Lightly saute until onions are soft. Add chopped veggies and stir through. Allow veggies to sear a bit then cover. Check frequently. I often add a few TBS of water and cover to steam saute the vegetables. This cooks them through faster and prevents burning. 

This is a side dish for breakfast. You will need to add protein. Today I had 2 eggs and 2 pieces of chicken sausage with my veggies. I sometimes will crack my eggs raw over top of the almost cooked hash and then cover them. The steam cooks the eggs and softens the vegetables. I've also made this with turkey bacon or chicken sausage added to the vegetable mix. I find quite a lot of freedom of choice with this. Keep experimenting to find the perfect combinations for your taste buds.

Chicken Salad For Breakfast?

It takes time to eat right. Time is one thing that most people feel they don't have enough of. If you can prepare something for breakfast the night before you are more likely to eat in the morning. Since breakfast is so important I'll be focusing on make ahead breakfast ideas for the next few days.

This morning I made what I call "breakfast chicken salad". I would normally make it the night before so it is ready first thing in the morning. Last night I cooked the chicken. I also spent the evening knitting socks. Socks are my favorite knit. These socks were fun. They kept me entertained while my chicken was roasting. They kept me further entertained while I was waiting for the chicken to cool before putting it into the fridge. Sadly, I do not have a fun picture of those socks to share with you. They were mailed off today. I mailed them away without documentation. I promise to not deprive everyone of such wonders in the future. 

What is the difference in a breakfast chicken salad and a regular chicken salad? The amount of veggies, fruit, mayo, and flavorings. I want my clients eating veggies at breakfast. That is why this salad is packed with  fiber rich celery and apple. This recipe makes one serving. Yes. ONE. Double it if you like. Triple it if you want. Quadruple it if necessary. Just be sure you are understanding you need all this food at one sitting. Balancing the blood sugar requires you to eat food. It requires you to eat food in the appropriate portions and combinations. I'm so happy that eating is a required part of healthy living!

Breakfast Chicken Salad

4 oz cooked chicken, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 apple, cored and diced

1/2 oz walnut pieces

2 TBS craisins

1 tsp mayo

Simply mix all the ingredients and chill overnight. You may want to mix the mayo in at the last moment before eating. I'm not a big mayo fan so I don't mind the salad being dry. Others are not as happy and would rather have the rich mayo taste. Adding it just before eating will give you more satisfaction if you are in the later category. 

Variations

Substitute or add 1/2 tsp honey or real maple syrup (if you do this omit the craisins because you will have too much sugar in your meal with both).

Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and/or a dash of nutmeg

Lightly salt before eating

Use 1 TBS Greek Yogurt instead of the mayo

Make it vegetarian and use tempeh or a soy analog meat instead of chicken

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that sentence in my life. I'm sure for each and every time I've skipped at least 3 mornings' breakfast. I used to pride myself on not eating until noon. Times change. Personal lessons are learned. Education expands the mind. Breakfast is never skipped now. Now I'm preaching "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". The best part of this is I believe it now.

When you wake your body needs food. You need protein and veggies to give your cells the building blocks to fuel a productive day. Protein at breakfast anchors your blood sugar through the day. Eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast is like eating a bowl of sugar. Even "whole grain sugar free" cereals turn straight to sugar in the body and let you down quickly in your morning routine. This is a pretty quick up/down roller coaster ride for your system. A body with balanced blood sugar is a "fat burning machine". I want my body to be a "fat burning muscle building machine". No, I'm not interested in building huge body builder muscles. That takes work, dedication, and massive amounts of food. I'm interested in a lean, fit, healthy body that is ready to play.

This morning I made myself a big breakfast. I had 3 eggs, 2 cups of kale, and one medium sweet potato. I peeled and diced the sweet potato before roasting it under the broiler in 2 tsp of olive oil. The greens and eggs I poached together. It is a quick and easy way to have fresh greens and protein at breakfast.

Poached Greens and Eggs

In a shallow pan or fry pan bring 3/4 of an inch of water to a near boil and add 2 cups (more or less) to the pan.

Then crack the eggs onto the greens. This is before you cook the greens.

The yokes float on the top and the whites go down into the greens a bit. That is fine. You then cover and steam with the water close to boiling (sometimes mine boils over when I'm not super careful) until the whites are cooked through and the yokes are just starting to set. This takes about 5-7 minutes.

Remove the greens and eggs with a slotted spoon. They can be a bit drippy. I'm not a fan of drippy. I'll wait extra to get the water out of the greens. As you can see from the top picture the greens are set into the eggs as they cook. I'll add salt and pepper before eating. You could add garlic before steaming if you like. You could also thinly slice onion and toss some in with the greens.

This is one of my favorite go to foods in the morning. I've covered 2 servings of greens and one sweet potato. I have anchored my blood sugar with the protein in the egg whites. My body will be super happy and energized!

WHY??

When my children learned this word I thought my days were numbered. Now as a trainer I love it. Why? One of my greatest goal setting questions! Why are you doing this? Smaller jeans? Larger muscles? Easier hiking? Faster run time? Lessened pain or to become pain free? Fight cancer? Fight heart disease? Reverse diabetes? Avoid a family history of these diseases? Combat autoimmune disease?

I've been thinking about my "why" today. I can't avoid it. Every turn I take I see it mirrored in the people around me. I have many answers to the "why" question. I want to fit into my clothes better. I want running to be an easier activity. I want to be stronger. I want more balance. I want to age gracefully. I want to hike the Appalachian Trail when I'm 67 (I think by then I'll have time to do it). I want to avoid some family history, high blood pressure and cancer are top on that list.

Please think about your "why". Think about what your driving force is. Think about the many facets to this force. Simply stating that you want to be healthier is good. Going to the deepest level of that is great. Healthier is what? Why do you want to be healthier? Has your doctor said you are borderline diabetic? Do you have high blood pressure? Are you hoping to avoid these issues because someone in your family has them?  I have clients who want to play with their grandchildren. This why has many layers. It also has a deep emotional tie. When your goal has an emotional tie it becomes easier to stay on track. The steps to reach it seem shorter and less labor intensive.

Food is a simple controllable step on the road to a healthier you. It is rare that people are forced to eat bad food. I have seen some cases and they make me very sad. The majority of people are in control of the foods they put into their bodies. Choosing foods that are nutritious and taste good is a skill that can be learned! This is my best news for you today. You can make a change. You can choose to nourish your body in a way that provides optimal performance. Best of all, you don't have to sacrifice flavor, color, texture, or quantity to do it!

Today's food is Lentils. Lentils are easy to cook. They require no soaking and are fairly quick to prepare.

2 cups green lentils, washed
1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup diced peppers (mine were mildly spicy if I had used a sweet bell pepper I would have used one whole one)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground sage

Add all ingredients to a pot and cover with water. Slowly boil keeping the lentils covered in water for 45 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Lunch yesterday was lentils with seamed veggies and a simple green lettuce salad. It was quite filling and kept me going for 3 hours. Perfect timing for my afternoon shake.

The Challenge!

I'm a certified coach with TLS Weight Loss System. I believe in this eating plan. I have seen it work for many different people. I've seen it work for me. There is a national challenge going on right now. Many people in the US and Canada are changing their lives and have the opportunity to earn big money doing it.

I've chosen to support my clients by complying to the plan 100% for the next 3 months. In addition I'm choosing to blog daily. My goal is to have a new recipe or food tip out each day. I know it can be stressful to come up with new food ideas. Some of these will be super simple. Some will be more intensive. Some will be based on meat and others just veggies. I hope everyone finds inspiration in and through my journey.

Today's recipe is sauteed greens with pumpkin seeds. Greens are important in the diet. Green leafy vegetables are packed with nutrients and full of fiber. Fiber helps the body to feel full and cleans out the system. If you are not feeling full with your meals adding an extra serving of leafy greens can fill the stomach enough to ease you through.

One more note...My recipes are often unconventional. I measure with my hands (average-small woman's hands) sometimes. I throw in what is available and change it up from week to week. Don't let that be a drawback. Let that help you feel empowered in the kitchen! Creativity is important with your food!

Sauteed Greens with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 pound mixed baby greens (my box contained spinach, shredded carrots, and a variety of kale)
1 TBS olive oil
2 handfuls of roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (and nutrition!)

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Slowly add the greens. Fill the pan and turn as the greens start to wilt. Each time you have turned once add more greens. Turn the raw greens to the bottom and the cooked greens to the top. Repeat this process until you have the whole pound in the pan. Toss the pumpkin seeds on top and serve.

Baby greens cook quickly. They are done as soon as they are slightly wilted. You can eat them raw as a salad if you choose so don't be concerned about cooking them through.

What else is on this plate?? Big serving of green salad and 4 oz of chicken breast. Yummy!

Food

Today I'm thinking about food. I'm thinking about the food I make and eat. So many of my clients love hearing about what I'm cooking. It seems they don't cook like this for themselves. Cooking for me is an intuitive thing. I enjoy going to the fridge and pulling out random food to make something wonderful.

Sharing that skill is hard. I've been asked so many times to write it all down. To write down every meal I make and share it with the world. I don't feel that each meal I cook is all that stupendous. There are some that come in higher on the spectacular scale than others. This week I'd say the lentil soup I threw together was one of those yummy meals to be repeated.

Where did the inspiration come from? One of the clients at the gym gifted us with a bunch of organic kale. The kale sat in the fridge at work for the weekend. It got very limp and looked like it was beyond use. I brought it home on Tuesday in hopes of bringing it back to life or at least steaming out what little life it had left. I can't remember where I learned the trick but somewhere along the way I learned that if you cut the ends off wilted parsley and put it into a cup of water it will perk up a bit. If it works for parsley why not for kale? After a 3 hour soak in a glass of water the kale had sucked up 8oz of water, and I had usable hardy kale again!

Spicy Lentil Soup
1 bunch kale (not necessarily old), chopped into bite size pieces
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers
1 1/2 cups dry lentils

Put lentils in a large pot and rinse clean. Cover lentils with water and bring to a boil. Add all the veggies, including the water from the tomatoes. Simmer until the lentils are soft, adding water to keep it above the lentils for the entire cook time.

This was enough to feed 3 people for two meals. It could be made ahead and frozen in individual serving size portions for take to work lunches.

Digging Deep

Yesterday I was faced with a challenge. My 1/2 marathon race is one month from yesterday. I'm still needing training. Lots of training. I don't feel completely ready. I'm ready enough to walk/run for 13.1 miles. I'm not ready to run/run for 13.1 miles. Part of my training is cross training. Cross-training is biking or using an elliptical or some other form of cardiovascular exercise for a specified amount of time. Yesterday's prescribed cross-training was for 30-60 minutes.

I was sipping some coffee, holding Darby, and starting to knit a pair of gloves. It was cold and morning. I'm not a fan of either cold or morning. I was so content just knitting and having the dog warm my lap. A little voice started whispering in my ear that I needed to run. This voice is one that I hear when I really need encouragement. This is the mental voice that I have applied to my friend in New Mexico. I've never heard her real voice. She is there though. She is there when I need to really just get it in gear. So I consented and decided that an hour on the bike knitting would be a fabulous fun way to spend the morning. I was thinking more about the knitting than the biking.

By the time I made it from the couch to the kitchen to put up my coffee cup and pick up my phone for timing my cardio she was yelling. She had a group of friends with her too. I realized that in those few seconds that if I really want to run/run I have to kick in the serious stuff. I have to put aside the mellow knitting cardio for my after long run breaks. I promptly went and donned my running gear and headed to the gym for a session on the elliptical.

The elliptical session was transformational! At the 15 minute mark I wanted to quit. Now you have to understand that the elliptical trainer I'm using is an old one. It was designed to mimic running as close to running as possible. It is a beast. It is like jogging uphill against the wind. So I started bargaining with myself. If I could make it to the 30 minute mark I could call it a 3 mile run. I was sweaty and ready to stop again at the 25 minute mark. Not close enough.

Somehow at 27 minutes I realized that I have been running the beginning of this race over and over and over. I have not made it to the end. I have not run farther than the 8.5 mile mark. Yesterday I wanted to finally finish the race. So I decided that my running would be the end of the race not the beginning. I had renewed strength. I pushed through. At 40 minutes I was almost to the point where my coach would be done with her current training session and come talk to me. I negotiated 45 minutes or when she came to talk to me which ever came first. At 45 I negotiated for the 50 minutes. At 50 I stopped. I had no fuel left. I was so hungry and tired I had to stop. It was this point she finally came to tell me how impressed she was.

I dug deep. I found my source. I have moved into owning my goal. For now the goal is to finish the race in February. I will walk if my body says walk. I will run if it says run. All my friends will be there with me. I will be filled with love, joy, and pride that day. After that I'll start training for the next one. The next one in April. The one I will run every step of the way.